Method and apparatus for automatic pick up of hosiery articles from a container

ABSTRACT

A method for automatic pick up from a container ( 7 ) of hosiery articles, in species socks ( 2 ), knee socks and the like of knitted material. An actuator ( 4 ) brings a support ( 5 ) to which a grasping device ( 6 ) is suspended at a predetermined distance. The grasping device ( 6 ) can be pushed to approach the support ( 5 ) independently from the actuator ( 4 ). The actuator ( 4 ) and the grasping device ( 6 ) are carried integrally above a container ( 7 ) of socks ( 2 ) and lowered integrally until the grasping device ( 6 ) contacts the free surface of the bulk of socks ( 2 ). The actuator ( 4 ) continues to be lowered according to a brief additional stroke and the grasping device ( 6 ) delays the closure even after a first contact with the free surface of socks ( 2 ). The approaching of the support ( 5 ) to the grasping device ( 6 ) is then detected and the latter is closed onto socks ( 2 ) grasping at least one of them ( 20 ). Then, there is the translation of the grasping device ( 6 ) by means of the actuator ( 4 ) from a pick up position to an unloading station where the grasping device ( 6 ) opens and releases the sock ( 20 ) on a loading plane of a finishing machine. Finally, there is the back stroke of the grasping device ( 6 ) to the starting position above the container ( 7 ) for a next picking up step.

DESCRIPTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention refers to a method for automatic pick up from a container of hosiery articles, in species socks, knee socks and the like made of knitted sponge-like cotton, wool, cotton, synthetic fibers, for their following loading on automatic finishing lines.

[0003] Furthermore the invention relates to a device that carries out this method.

[0004] 2. Background of the Invention

[0005] In the following description, reference is made to socks, being it clear that the same method can be extended to knee socks and other hosiery articles.

[0006] In an automatic production cycle, before that a sock reaches the final packaging step, it must follow a path with various working steps.

[0007] Usually, starting from step of automatic or manual pick up of the sock from a special container, the sock passes through intermediate steps that provide seaming, steaming, up to the final packaging.

[0008] Presently, socks are picked from special containers manually. Techniques also exist of automatic pick up by means of a feeding sucker that holds the articles raising them from a special container. This technique, however, is indicated only for veiled articles such as collants, knee socks and stockings, which are made of thin knitted veil and are very flexible.

[0009] On the other hand, the same feeding sucker system does not allow an automatic pick up from a container of other hosiery articles, made of synthetic fibers but with thicker knitting as well as in sponge-like cotton, wool, thick cotton. For such articles, only manual loading systems are presently known.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] It is therefore object of the present invention to provide a method for automatic pick up from a container of hosiery articles, in particular socks, knee socks and the like knitted of spongy and/or wool material, which overcomes the drawback of the existing techniques.

[0011] It is, furthermore, an object of the invention to provide a device that carries out this method. crampon

[0012] The pick up method according to the invention provides the use of a grasping device moving from a starting position. The free end of the grasping device, comprising grasping jaws, is approached gradually to the bulk of socks gathered in a container located underneath. The grasping device is suspended to an end of an actuator, but is not integral to it so that as soon as the jaws contact the free surface of the bulk of socks, the actuator continues for a brief additional stroke. In particular, the additional stroke causes the grasping device to contact to socks without stopping the lowering of the jaws even after a first contact with the free surface of the bulk of socks.

[0013] The end of the brief additional stroke, i.e. when the actuator has approached the grasping device, or the beginning of the additional stroke, i.e. when the actuator starts the approaching movement to the grasping device, are detected automatically, since they represent with certainty the achievement by the grasping device of the bulk of socks, whichever is the level of the socks in the container. At this point, when the fact that the support is close to the grasping device has been detected, or after having detected the beginning of the approaching movement of the support to the grasping device, the jaws are closed automatically grasping at least one sock. Then, the whole device by means of the actuator is moved from the pick up position to an unloading position. In this position the jaws release the sock on a loading plane of a finishing machine. Then, the whole device turns back quickly to the starting position above the container for a next picking up step.

[0014] According to another aspect of the invention, a device for automatic pick up from a container of a sock or similar articles comprises:

[0015] a support intergral to the movable part of an actuator;

[0016] at least a grasping device having grasping means;

[0017] a sliding guide of said graspiong device with respect to said support, wherein said grasping device is suspended to said support at a predetermined distance from it and can be pushed to approach said support;

[0018] proximity sensor means, of the approached position reached by said grasping device with respect to said support;

[0019] means for blocking said grasping means responsive to said proximity sensor means, at said approached position.

[0020] Prefereably, the sensor means comprise proximity sensors integral to the support that detect the vicinity of the grasping device within a predetermined range. In this case, advantageously, a mechanical pawl is provided that prevents the grasping device from contacting the sensors intergral to the actuator.

[0021] Alternatively, the sensor means comprise proximity sensors intergral to the support that detect the passage of the sliding guide with respect to the support. In this case, the contact of the grasping device with the socks is detected before that the grasping device stops its approaching to the actuator.

[0022] In particular, the signals coming from the sensor means cause only the closure of the jaws for grasping the socks. The following opening movement of the jaws is operated by the control unit at the unloading station where the sock is released.

[0023] The grasping means can comprise a couple of jaws operated by pneumatic means, a control unit being provided for operating said pneumatic means responsive to signals coming from the sensor means.

[0024] Advantageously, the grasping device provides a opening adjustment device of the jaws that adjusts the maximum opening of the jaws with respect to a longitudial axis of the device for prefereably picking up a sock at a time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Further characteristics of the method and of the device according to the present invention for automatic pick up of hosiery articles will be made clearer with the following description of an embodiment thereof, exemplifying but not limitative, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

[0026]FIG. 1 shows and elevational view of a device for automatic pick up of a sock from a container;

[0027] FIGS. from 2 to 5 show a diagrammatical view following positions of the device of FIG. 1, with grasping sock and its loading on a conveyor belt;

[0028]FIG. 6, shows diagrammatically the succession of steps of FIGS. from 1 to 5;

[0029]FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the device of FIG. 1 with different location of the sensor means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0030] With reference to FIG. 1, for an automatic pick up of a sock 2 from a container 7 a device 1 is provided comprising a stem 4 of an acutator, for example an articualted arm, having at the distal end a support 5 to which a grasping device 6 is suspended. More precisely, a guiding rod 3 is provided on which grasping device 6 slides with respect to support 5, whereby the grasping device is normally suspended to support 5 spaced at a maximum distance corresponding to the length of the guiding rod 3, and can be pushed upwardly from below to approach support 5, against a spring 11. Grasping device 6 consists in two jaws 8 and a body 9 that contains pneumatic parts that operate the jaws 8, with air supplied through through ducts 15 by a double-acting value 16, operated by a control unit 17. Control unit 17 receives signals from a proximity sensor 13 integral to grasping device 6 and oriented towards the above, in older to measure the vicinity to support 5 within a predetermined range. Obviously, sensor 13 may also be mounted on support for measuring the vicinity to grasping device 6 located underneath. Furthermore, it may be mounted in the position of FIG. 7 described hereinafter.

[0031] Always with reference to FIG. 1, in use the stem 4 is positioned with grasping device 6 above container 7 with the socks that reach a level 2. At first, the laws is in an open position, suspended to support 5 by means of guiding rod 3, which has a flange 3 a at the free end. The maximum opening of the jaws 8, with respect to the vertical axis of grasping device 6, is set manually by an adjusting device 10.

[0032] Then, as shown in FIG. 2, there is the first contact of grasping device 6 with the socks 2. Tn this position the jaws 8 could already grasp a sock. However, since the level of socks is variable and might for example be in the position 2′, the level of first contact cannot be foreseen.

[0033] Therefore, according to the invention, the movement towards below continues and the movement of grasping device 6 stops smoothly on the surface of socks 2, wherever it is, without momentarily affecting this movement. After the contact of grasping device 6 with the surface of the socks, a relative movement thereof with respect to support 5 starts, owing to the push of stem 4 towards below even after the first contact of grasping device 6 with the socks. More precisely, support 5 tends to compress spring 11 in order to approach further and further grasping device 6.

[0034] As shown by FIG. 3, the lowering of support 5 continues up to the detection of its presence by proximately sensor 13. A pawl 12 is provided that prevents support 5 and grasping device 6 to contact each other. In fact, an abutment5 14 limits the movement of support 5 towards grasping device 6 by hitting pawl 12.

[0035] At the detection of the presence of support 5, control unit 17 opens valve 16 and, through one of ducts 15, it operates the closure of the jaws 8. In other words, as clearly visible in FIG. 3, when grasping device 6 pushes with jaws 8 onto socks 2, sensor 13 detects the presence of support 5, whereby through the actuating parts 9 the jaws 8 are closed in order to grasp sock 20.

[0036] After grasping sock 20, spring 11 is released, thus spacing support 5 from grasping device 6. Grasping device 6 is again suspended by means of guiding rod 3 to support 5 and can be raised togeher with sock 20 from the mass 2 of socks present in container 7. The jaws 8 continue to remain closed even if sensor 13 is spaced from support 5.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 5, the device 1 with sock 20 is moved to an unloading position, where the jaws are opened by unit 17. The sock 20, then, is unloaded for example on a conveyor belt 18 of a finishing line 19, for the successive steps of the production cycle. In FIG. 6 the steps above described are shown.

[0038] Notwithstanding reference has been made to the detection of the position of contact of jaws 8 with socks 2 by means of a sensor 13 mounted on grasping device 6, it is not excluded that sensor 13 is mounted in way different than that shown in the above figures, for example on support 5. In particular, with reference to FIG. 7, sensor 13 can be mounted in order to detect the movement of flange 3 a. This way, the signal of achievement by grasping device 6 of the surface 2 of the socks, transmitted to the micorprocessor through the bus that the connects to the sensor, can start well before that grasping device 6 approaches support 5. In this case, there is the advantage that the stop of the actuator 4 can be carried out after an additional path H, before that grasping device 6 ends the sliding stroke, owing to a delay between the signal of the processore 17 and the actual stop. This avoids the problem of break of the grasping device against the bottom of the container 7 if the level 2 of socks is close to the bottom same.

[0039] The foregoing description of a specific embodiment will so fully reveal the invention according to the conceptual point of view, so that others, by applying current knowledge, will be able to modify and/or adapt for various applications such an embodiment without further research and without parting from the invention, and it is therefore to be understood that such adaptations and modifications will have to be considered as equivalent to the specific embodiment. The means and the materials to realise the different functions described herein could have a different nature without, for this reason, departing from the field of the invention. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. 

1. A method for automatic pick up from a container (7) of hosiery articles, in species socks (2), knee socks and the like, made of thick knitted material, characterised in that it comprises the steps of: handling by means of an actuator (4) a grasping device (6) starting from an initial position, said grasping device (6) being suspended to a support (5) integral to said actuator (4) at a predetermined distance from it and can be pushed to approach said support (5) not integral from said actuator (4); moving the actuator (4), and the grasping device (6) to it suspended, above a conrtainrer (7) containing a bulk of socks (2); lowering the actuator (4) and the grasping device (6) to it suspended integrally to each other until said grasping device (6) contacts the free surface of the bulk of socks (2), said actuator (4) continuing to be lowered according to a brief additional stroke, said grasping device (6) delaying the closure even after a first contact with the free surface of socks (2), at the end of said additional stroke said support (5) being approached to said grasping device (6); detection of the presence of the support (5) approached to the grasping device (6) and subsequent closure of it onto socks (2) grasping at least one (20); movement of the grasping device (6) by means of the actuator (4) from a pick up position to an unloading station where said grasping device (6) opens and release the sock (20) on a loading plane of a finishing machine; back stroke of the grasping device (6) to a starting position above the container (7) for a next picking up step.
 2. A device for automatic pick up from a container (7) of hosiery articles, in species socks (2) of knitted material, characterised in that it comprises: a support (5) integral to the movable part of an actuator (4); at least a grasping device (6) having grasping means (8); a sliding guide of said grasping device (6) with respect to said support (5), wherein said grasping device (6) is suspended to said support (5) at a predetermined distance from it and can be pushed to approach said support (5); a proximity sensor means (13), which detect the approaching of said grasping device (6) to said support (5); means for blocking (9) said grasping mearns (8) responsive to said proximity sensor means (13).
 3. Device according to 2, wherein said means for blocking (9) said grasping means (8) comprise pneumatic means (13,16) operated by a control electronic unit (17) for operating said pneumatic means (16) responsive to signals coming from the sensor means (13).
 4. Device according to claim 2, wherein the sensor means comprise sensors (13) of proximity that detect the vicinity of the grasping device (6) to the supports (5) within a predetermined range.
 5. Device according to claim 4, wherein a mechanical pawl is provided that prevents the grasping device (6) and the the support (5) from contacting directly.
 6. Device according to claim 2, wherein the sensor means comprise proximity sensors (13) that detect the passage of the sliding guide (3 a) with respect to the support (5), whereby the contact of the grasping device (6) with the socks (2) is detected before that the grasping device (6) stops its approaching movement to the actuator (5).
 7. Device according to claim 2, wherein said grasping device (6) has adjusting tneans (10) that adjusts the maximum opening for picking up a sock (20) at a time.
 8. Device according to claim 2, wherein said grasping means comprise a couple of jaws (8).
 9. Device according to claim 2, wherein said sensor means (13) are chosen among: optical, mechanical, pneumatic, electrical, magnetic. 